Thyroid results

[zaraelle]

Hi I now have my thyroid results.

THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES >1200 (<34)

TSH 8.2 (0.2 - 4.2)

FT4 10.8 (12 - 22)

FT3 3.0 (3.1 - 6.8)

Underactive thyroid was diagnosed 2010 and I am 21 years old, female. Symptoms are

Dark creases in skin and around eyes

Acne

Hair loss

Dry skin

Weight loss

Imbalance

Low blood pressure when standing from sitting

Infections recurring and taking forever to go

Tiredness

Feeling wired

Ears ringing

Fractures in bones

Heavy periods every month

Thanks for reading

[shaws Administrator]

My Goodness Gracious - you've been diagnosed 8 years ago and still not on an optimum of thyroid hormones. It is disgraceful really and negligent, I feel, of doctors. I am not medically qualified.

Most doctors and endocrinologists appear to be so poorly trained in assisting their hypo patients to recover and get well with no clinical symptoms.

So, in order to do so, we have to read, learn and ask questions.

You are so grossly underdosed as your TSH should be 1 or lower:

FT4 is 10.8 and below range when it should be nearer 20 to 22.

FT3 is below range when it should be around 6.

All of your symptoms are clinical symptoms and I doubt doctors know one of them.

The aim is we have a TSH of 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 towards the upper part of the range.

You also have the commonest Autoimmune Thyroid Disease, also called Hashimoto's due to your high thyroid antibodies. It is the antibodies which attack your thyroid gland until you are hypo and they wax and wane and sometimes you might feel hyper (not hyperthyriod) and other times hypo.

To reduce the attack of the antibodies going gluten-free can help reduce them.

Never take the word 'normal' as a diagnois we want optimal, i.e. TSH of 1 or lower, FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the range. Also make sure B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate are also optimum - not just in range.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

When we are on an optimum of thyroid hormones that suit us we should feel well with no symptoms. Sometime this means the addition of T3 to T4. Many feel an immense improvement when on T3/T4. There is also NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormones) which is the original hormone replacement since 1892.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Make an urgent appointment with any GP at practice for 25mcg dose increase in Levo

Ask for vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 to be tested, plus testing for coeliac disease

Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

Low vitamin levels stop Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten

According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)

But don't be surprised that GP or endo never mention gut, gluten or low vitamins. Hashimoto's is very poorly understood

Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

drknews.com/changing-your-d...

Blood retesting 6-8 weeks after each dose increase. TSH should be around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range

Dr Toft, past president of the British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist, states in Pulse Magazine,

"The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.

But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l.

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

You can obtain a copy of the articles from Thyroid UK email print it and highlight question 6 to show your doctor

please email Dionne:
[e-mail]